No team will claim him. Injuries happen to every team. Leafs just avoided it for a few years.

Apparently the Oilers are looking for physical players, someone will claim him just for that locker room presence

I still believe in physical deterrents. But ONLY if the player can take a regular shift and not hurt you. Wayne Simmonds is washed up. Simmonds wasn't claimed off waivers before. Why would he be claimed now?

I've got a solution to that problem. You injure a player on a suspendable offense You get a minimum of x games or until the player is physically able to return whichever is longer.

Look, I love Simmonds and think he's a great player, but he's literally been in the press box for 80% of the team's games this season and barely touched the ice when he's played (7:29 TOI). He brings some physicality but not much else at this point, and with the way Toronto's injuries are piling up a guy like that is more of a luxury than a necessity.

Trust me, when you don't have any physicality in your lineup, one physical player would look like he is Tom Wilson or something. For the Islanders, he would be useless considering you guys have players who would throw their weight around. The Leafs are intimidated when the puck is in a corner

So since Matthews didn't miss any time last night, this guy can stop complaining about Wahlstrom's hit (I'm assuming this is the knee on knee that OP has been banging on about all day today.)

One of the more non sensical posts. Thinking Voit who is playing junior is eligible to play in the NHL.

By the way, putting a player on waivers isn't necessarily getting rid of a player. Only if he is claimed off waivers and playing in the NHL for that new team, would Simmons or be lost to the Leafs.

That's a Kyle Dubas problem. A good GM has players who don't have to be goons. But players who will stick up for themselves and are also able to either score, assist or check. Take David Perron for example. He's not going to beat you up. But he's going to be a bit of a rat, stick up for himself and score goals. Be tough to play against.

You don't have to stand out. But you do have to stand up for yourself. The Leafs don't have many players who will do that. Bunting doesn't scare anyone. Rielly will fight. He'll stick up for himself and his teammates. I've always liked that about him. But he's out now too.

Similarly to how he was claimed when he was on waivers the first time this year? “Team Toughness” will never completely prevent dumb stuff happening on the ice - especially when the specific member of “Team Toughness” can’t skate at the pace of play required in the NHL any longer.

trust me, if someone had ill intention towards any leaf players, simmonds is not gonna be a factor in anyone one's decision...

Nah, I’m good

Simmonds often takes dumb penalties when he's on the ice because he can't keep up. 2 minutes for a lack of speed. Same as that fire hydrant Kyle Clifford. Then he gets speed bagged whenever he fights.

If they aren't scaring anyone then there isn't much they can do. This talk about the Leafs needing to get tougher to prevent runs at their stars is getting old. Matthews got himself suspended last year "standing up" for himself. Bunting stepping up for anyone is disregarded because he doesn't scare anyone as you said. Giordano stepping up for Matthews is an issue. Sandin standing up for Matthews is also an issue. If Simmonds and/or Clifford playing every game, then their will be complaints about their skill etc.

There's no winning here, not every team can have a Tom Wilson, and even if the Leafs traded for him. The new complaint will be, "they should have got someone who can stay healthy and actually play".

The Leafs roster is built and there's no magical cure. The players the Leafs need aren't available. And the teams that have them don't want to trade them. Dubie can rearrange a few chairs on the Titanic but it's still going to sink in the playoffs. Bunting trying to scare teams with his eyebrows is quite funny. 🤭

And yes. Tom Wilson is a unicorn. Caps are lucky to have him. He's not available.

No I said minimum of X whatever that's determined to be or until injured player is cleared by league Doctors to play whichever is longer.

It's only all doom and gloom if the players on the current rosters can't make the needed changes in their game to get it done.

It's really not a roster construction issue. Had the core 4 been paid less, it's just means that the other players would have been played more, perhaps they could have fit one more better player. It may be a personnel issue, but no group in Toronto has been able to get it done since 1967 which was their last Finals appearance if I'm not mistaken, last to make it to conference finals did it in '02, last to win a round did it in '04 which was followed by a 7 year post-season drought. The Franchise has already sunk in terms of playoff performance.

At least the current group is one of 12 teams with an active post-season (can't say playoff due to that Covid year even though they would have made it by record) streak, which means that they are at least good. If they can retain Matthews, Marner, and Nylander throughout the rest of their primes then they should eventually be able to move forwards. They may never win a cup though.

They've gone through so many players, coaches, and GMs, maybe now it's time to change the Fans. Move the Maple Leafs to Markham and make a new Toronto based franchise, maybe the Trailblazers or the Thrashers.

No. It really is a roster construction issue. The End.

I know you disagree with this but what I should have said is "it's not a roster construction issue due to pay structure."